Television

AXN takes aim at India

AXN, the action channel from Sony Entertainment Television, is deep focusing on India in a big way. As part of that effort, "action babe" Gena Lee Nolin, former Baywatch actress and now focal character in Sheena - Queen of the Jungle, was in Mumbai to promote the action adventure drama.

Nolin's trip to Asia is a part of promotional push in a month of action for AXN viewers. This month the channel launched two new "action babes" series VIP and Sheena. In Sheena, Nolin play the roles of the protector of Jungle, while in VIP a comedy action series featuring Pamela Anderson.

AXN, which has completed three years on air in India and claims an audience of 18 million viewers, is aggressively pushing to increase these numbers by introducing more new shows in the coming months. One such is Crime Scene Investigation which has already gained popularity in the US.

AXN has also acquired the rights to premiere Ang Lee's Oscar winning movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. We have acquired the rights for four airings of the movie; the first airing will be premiered on television on AXN at the end the year, Gregory Ho, VP (marketing) AXN Asia, said. "This will be the movie's first premier on television across the region," said Ho, adding that this move was an indication of how committed the channel was to India.

The idea of bringing in glamorous faces like Nolin's into India was all part of this promotional effort, Ho said. Nolin was there to field questions at press briefing in south Mumbai's Taj Hotel on 25 June. The first-run syndicated Sheena series is developed and executive produced by Douglas Schwartz (Baywatch) and Steven L. Sears (Xena: Warrior Princess). The series is a production of Columbia TriStar Television and is distributed internationally by Columbia TriStar International Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company.